A look in the pool

So its been a while since I wrote any sort of reflective piece thus the title. I got a strong gut reaction just now reading Asher's out of Africa blog and am thinking about all the differences in the world that we find are selves in. The other night I was out in Apgujeong-dong meeting a friend. The street is lined with the world's finest fashion houses and with beautiful people and their beautiful clothes all bought at a highstreet price. Korean people are naturally very beautiful but this neighborhood has a huge amount of plastic surgery clinics. People actually can get tax breaks for getting plastic surgery. THe most popular are eye skin tucks and colligen shots but it ranges to jaw reductions a process where the actually file down your jaw bone and adjust where the bone meets your skull. (suprisingly this is apparently very common.) the other is of course breast implants (the other option here being the water bra, a noticably common enhancment and serious disapointment Im sure. The most extreme, considering the infatuation with height, is leg lengthening. A six month procedure where the legs are broken seperated and allowed to grow and fill the fracture. The process is repeated to a gain of as much as three inches. All of this Narcissism behind closed doors does pour onto the street where the young twenty somthing women speed past "the Galleria" in their Mazaratti's going to the clubs. Those who have seen both say that this high flying Seoul is wilder then Manhattan. Coming into the world Fore at this time in history gives it a strange science fiction edge.
This is of course a discription of a crust of Korean society but it happens to be the part of the pie I am surrounded by these are the streets I walk home from work or when I go to do yoga or have a beer with friends.
I am sure that if some of my Korean co-workers read what I wrote they would be embarassed at my impressions that I send home. And that is fair. Because I don't speak the language I can't talk to anyone unless they speak english and so my impressions are from the rich who by and large speak english. It is kind of scary in Apgujeong how many young people will tell you a place in North America where they are from, usually playing up that accent and acting as if they lived there for more then the three or four years of college. These of course are the ones driving the bentley's.
So it gives me a feeling of unease to look at a schools red Roof in Sierra Leone and to stare across the street and see the giant flashing neon panasonic sign or Johnny Walker or Mercedes or whatever.....
Today we had a class birthday Party for Gemini he is 7, korean age that means 6 back home, and every kid got a box of cookies and ate enough cake to make horse sick, all provided by young Gemini's family, who I was told by my co teacher "were showing that they cared a lot".(I almosted pasted the guy on the spot, as if big cakes and presents ever made up for a good time with loved ones.) And despite the affluence of it all here was just a normal little boy having his birthday party with his friends. sure the cake was bigger then most, sure the presents cost more. But he still likes "baby beluga" and playing musical chairs and cries when he loses. it's his party, he can if he wants to. And it makes me think that much of our understanding of self and wealth is like the air we breathe. it comes like our skin. We only see it from another perspective if we get a chance to breathe someone elses air or have a skin transplant. And few 6 year olds are self aware let alone globally aware. it seems a little to much to ask on a birthday.
How much is to much? I can't say that I know the line but its a few turns before you get to the broken leg stretch exit Im pretty sure. "Of those to whom much is given, much is required. " I am gonna go in tommorow and donate a few inches between my knee and my ankle. It seems there's people who need it more then me. or at least they need something................